The men’s T20 cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 is set to begin on September 24 and will run until October 3 at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The tournament follows the completion of the women’s competition, where India successfully defended their Asian Games title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
The men’s event features 10 teams and uses a multi-stage format, with six teams beginning their campaigns in the group stage. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal form Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman make up Group B. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals, where they will meet the four top-seeded nations.
With India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka entering at the knockout stage, the tournament is set to bring together several established international players and emerging Asian cricketing talents. The competition will conclude with the bronze-medal match and gold-medal final on October 3.
Men’s tournament begins with group-stage battle
The first phase of the men’s competition will see Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal compete in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman will contest Group B. Each team will play the other sides in its group once, giving every match considerable importance in the race for a quarter-final place. The opening game will see hosts Japan face Afghanistan on September 24, before Hong Kong take on Malaysia later the same day.
Afghanistan will then play Nepal on September 25, while Japan and Nepal will meet on September 26. Group B will also conclude its league fixtures on September 26 when Malaysia face Oman. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. Pakistan will face the second-placed team from Group B, while India will take on the Group A runner-up. Sri Lanka will meet the Group A winner, with Bangladesh facing the Group B winner.
India lead a strong field of contenders
India enter the tournament as the defending champions and will be among the teams attracting significant attention. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack. The squad also includes explosive batter Abhishek Sharma, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson and teenage batting talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi, while VVS Laxman will coach the team.
Pakistan will be led by Sahibzada Farhan, with Abdul Samad serving as vice-captain. Their squad includes Saim Ayub, Haider Ali and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed. Sri Lanka will be captained by Sahan Arachchige and feature players such as Niroshan Dickwella, Chamika Karunaratne and Nuwan Thushara.
Bangladesh have named Litton Das as captain and have several experienced players in their squad, including Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will be led by Darwish Rasooli and have a squad combining young players with experienced performers such as Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat.
Nepal will be captained by Dipendra Singh Airee and will have familiar names such as Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane and Kushal Malla. Japan, the host nation, will be led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and will look to make the most of home conditions, with 10 members of their squad returning from the 2023 Asian Games.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket, Complete schedule
| Date | Match | Stage | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 24 | Japan vs Afghanistan | Group A | 5:30 AM |
| September 24 | Hong Kong China vs Malaysia | Group B | 10:30 AM |
| September 25 | Hong Kong China vs Oman | Group B | 5:30 AM |
| September 25 | Afghanistan vs Nepal | Group A | 10:30 AM |
| September 26 | Japan vs Nepal | Group A | 5:30 AM |
| September 26 | Malaysia vs Oman | Group B | 10:30 AM |
| September 28 | Pakistan vs B2 | Quarter-final 1 | 5:30 AM |
| September 28 | India vs A2 | Quarter-final 2 | 10:00 AM |
| September 29 | Sri Lanka vs A1 | Quarter-final 3 | 5:30 AM |
| September 29 | Bangladesh vs B1 | Quarter-final 4 | 10:00 AM |
| October 1 | Semi-final 1 | Semi-final | 5:30 AM |
| October 1 | Semi-final 2 | Semi-final | 10:00 AM |
| October 3 | Bronze Medal Match | Bronze Medal | 5:30 AM |
| October 3 | Final | Gold Medal Match | 10:00 AM |
Also READ: Sri Lanka names Asian Games 2026 squad; Sahan Arachchige appointed captain
Asian Games 2026 Cricket: Broadcast and Live Streaming details
- India: Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV
- Japan: TBS Television and associated TV networks and apps
- Pakistan: PTV Sports
- United States and Canada: Willow TV (Sign up here)
- Singapore: Mediacorp, meWATCH and Channel 5
- Malaysia: Astro and RTM
- Indonesia: TVRI and K-Vision
- South Korea: KBS, MBC, SBS and Naver
- Hong Kong: i-CABLE Communications through the HOY Media Network and HOY OTT
- Philippines: Pilipinas LIVE and Cignal
- Vietnam: VTV
- China: CCTV5
- Qatar and Middle East: beIN Sports
Also READ: Here’s why VVS Laxman will coach Team India instead of Gautam Gambhir at Asian Games 2026
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